6 suspected Bengal tiger poachers killed during gunfight in Bangladesh

Police in Bangladesh say that six men suspected of poaching Bengal tigers were killed during a gunfight Sunday.

Earlier in the day, police raided a gang suspected of illegally trafficking the skins, authorities said. They were found in the Sundarbans nature area, the Los Angeles Times reports, a UNESCO World Heritage site and home to about 106 of the endangered tigers. There are just 2,500 Bengal tigers left in the world, the World Wildlife Fund says.

Seven people were arrested during the raid, and three Bengal tiger skins were found. Police officers returned to the area with the suspects later in the day to get more skins when associates of the suspected poachers started to shoot, authorities said. Six of the suspects were caught in the line of fire and killed, while five officers were wounded.

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